ipab-rad / flir_camera_driver

flir_camera_driver

This repository contains ROS packages for cameras made by FLIR Imaging (formerly known as PointGrey).

Packages

spinnaker_camera_driver

The camera driver supports USB3 and GIGE cameras. The driver has been successfully used for Blackfly, Blackfly S, Chameleon, and Grasshopper cameras, but should support any FLIR camera that is based on the Spinnaker SDK. See the spinnaker_camera_driver for more. This software is issued under the Apache License Version 2.0 and BSD

flir_camera_msgs

Package with with image exposure and control messages. These are used by the spinnaker_camera_driver. This software is issued under the Apache License Version 2.0.

flir_camera_description

Package with meshes and urdf files. This software is released under a BSD license.

Usage

This repository is designed to be used alongside a Docker container. Quickly build and run the Docker container using run.sh for runtime or debugging, and dev.sh for a convenient development setup.

Runtime or Debugging

Execute the ROS 2 nodes in runtime mode or start an interactive bash session for detailed debugging:

./run.sh [bash]

• Without arguments: Activates the container in runtime mode.
• With bash: Opens an interactive bash session for debugging.

Development

Prepare a development setting that reflects local code modifications and simplifies the build process:

./dev.sh

• Live Code Synchronization: Mounts local av_camera_launch, flir_camera_msgs and spinnaker_camera_driver directories with the container.
• Convenience Alias: The development container features a colcon_build alias, which simplifies the ROS2 build process. Executing colcon_build runs colcon build --symlink-install --cmake-args -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release and then sources the setup.bash to ensure the environment is updated with the latest build artifacts. This alias enhances productivity by combining build commands and environment setup into a single, easy command.